LauraG that makes sense re: the usefulness of a photo. I can imagine that some folks might notice the things you mention when looking in the mirror while for others it's the layer of abstraction provided by the photo that does the trick. Similar to how some folks notice items they wear a lot as they go along whereas for others it's wear tracking that yields these insights. Just depends on our different eyes and different brains. Horses for courses, if I might be so bold as to channel Angie for a brief moment.
JenniNZ, that's really generous of you to be thinking about my questions while you are on your holiday! Interesting that your wardrobe has become more functional as the # of items has shrunk, but I totally believe it. It's reassuring to hear that you ponder items, sometimes for a long time, before actually purchasing them. Great that the olive snakeskin pants were such a success! That's the idea isn't it, that the things we buy should truly add value to our closet. Would love to hear more about your resort capsule if you work on it further.
Joy that makes sense. It sounds like the column of color was a key insight for you.
Laura, what exactly is the problem? It's a good question! The proximate problem is that I've noticed that even though I know how I want to dress and the individual items in my closet feel like they're in line with that, I have trouble actually making outfits with ease. What's the underlying reason for that? After taking in the discussion on this thread I think it's probably a combination of (1) having a very specific idea of what I want, so things that tick all the boxes are harder to find, and (2) my personal difficulty with actually taking action/following through on purchases. I feel better now about the idea that things might take a while to fall into place, and also about the likelihood that there's going to be some trial and error involved. You and Joy both make a good point about things always being a work in progress. I'd love to get to the point where I feel like I'm solving a limited number of problems at one time though, you know?